Saturday, September 3, 2011

double take

Someone asked me why i bothered to spend time op-shopping the other day. Here is where it began...I first got into thrift shopping when i was 12. We didn't have much money, and i wanted to express myself more through my clothing. I stumbled into one of our local church opportunity shops and came out with a shirt i loved...for 10 cents. There was no turning back. Its a pretty fundamental part of my life.My take on thrift shopping:= I think there is enough stuff in the world, i don't want to contribute to that by buying more new stuff...not when i can source it secondhand. Okay, underwear i buy. (i know someone would email and ask me that one!). I do want to try making some though. Yup, really.= I really don't get paying hundreds of dollars for any item of clothing. I don't have that many hundreds of dollars for clothes to begin with, but still...= i like the unique aspect of buying second hand. It's perhaps a little different, or vintage.= everything comes with it's own story, my imagination likes that.= it's kinder to my skin as well as my pocket...i wrote a piece about organic clothing for Organic NZ magazine awhile back and the chemical residue in new non-organic clothing blew my mind. Cotton mainly. Not good for the earth, oh no. Or me...if i buy secondhand the yuckies have mainly leached out. I am not a purist but this is a bonus.= If i am walking past an op shop i usually pop in and do a quick scout. I am always on the lookout for good fabric (it is so expensive new and i use vintage prints for my GrowMama babies and kids range of clothing), craft supplies, books and clothing to upcycle. My eye is pretty finely honed after all these years. I can speed rummage an op-shop and be out smiling in ten minutes easy.= Thrift shopping has furnished homes and whole wardrobes for me. It has me feel like anything is possible, even if i have only a handful of dollars in my pocket. = i like the whole underground economy thing...trading, LETS systems, thrift stores, free stores, garage sales...= i like the interactions i have with the people that shop in the same places i do...it opens my world to a broader one, a friendly one at that.= I like that the money i pay goes (mostly) to charities doing good work. That's a good feeling.= Oh yes, then there is the thrill of finding quality labelled clothing for a teeny tiny fraction of the original cost...i do find that perversely satisfying. I have a thing for knitwear. A few days ago i came home with this top. I had ripped off the Salvation Army $5 tag when we'd gotten home. This morning i took a closer look at it. To find it was brand new with original tags ... for $238. I did a doubletake. I had quibbled internally over paying $5. Eek.

1 comment:

I especially agree about the environmental side of buying secondhand - both from not buying too much new stuff but also that particularly for children's clothing, sheets, etc, the more washed, the better. I wish I had more time, patience and imagination to look through the racks for myself - reckon you need that to find the really good scores!

These are the chronicles of our adventures. How I grow. Growing into being mama. Growing my art in it's many guises. Living life as juicy as I know how. Stumbling sometimes, soaring at other times. Letting my son remind me that magic is present in every moment. This is me, crafting our world anew. Stitch by stitch, seed by seed, word by word, and always, always, from the heart. Thanks for journeying with me.

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